Inappropriate cars.

[holbeck]

What about a shout for a film that got the cars pretty well right. Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy seemed bang on for the motors. All I could criticise was that Colin Firth's Triumph 2000 looked a bit knackered for a new car. I can nit pick with the best of them, but I was struck with the effort the producers had gone to. (Especially loved the mish-mash of Eastern European chod). But then others more expert than I could pick holes in the lot of it.

[vulgalour]

Withnail and I is a great film, but I hadn't realised it was a period one.  I was seriously confused as to why the police in it were still using an old J van but just sort of went with it, I had assumed it was just a quirky film that way.

[Tayne]

There's a whole row of 80's stuff as they drive round a roundabout at the start of their mistaken holiday. 

 

I have never noticed that.

And I've seen the film at least 50 times.

[Tayne]

a great film, but I hadn't realised it was a period one.  I was seriously confused as to why the police in it were still using an old J van but just sort of went with it, I had assumed it was just a quirky film that way.

 

I watched Run Lola Run at a friend's house after I'd had a few.

We watched the dubbed version and it was years later when I realised it was a German film.

[Micrashed]

Ashes to Ashes

1983 - Rover 600? I think NOT.

[D-Dubya]

Ashes to Ashes

1983 - Rover 600? I think NOT.

 

Ashes to Ashes also had a couple of wrong Maestro inserts too...

reg plate is for a peugeot 305

cant find a shot of the other maestro but alex is stood in a doorway and it drives past on the road behind her, in 1981

 

also, a 205 lurking about too

 

and a talbot alpine or two

those have got to be mid 80s ones

[dollywobbler]

 

 

I think what's more annoying there is the entire wrongness of a black and white plate on a 1973 (yes I know) car. Even in 1970, most if not all cars were on yellow/white plates. My 1970 Rover P6 certainly was, and I far prefer those to black/white plates. 

[Tayne]

 

those have got to be mid 80s ones

 

 

Is that Wuvum's old one?

[DSdriver]

Using any old car that you had hanging about was right on the punk ethos for Sid and Nancy. They probably had Malcolm Maclaren advising on props.

[mouseflakes]

 

 

Is that Wuvum's old one?

 

No, he only likes to wear outfits that come below the knee.

[In The Pit]

Yep.  There's an Allegro in the film somewhere too.

Quadrophenia is a good film but there are a fair few incorrect motors for the year:

 

another MKIII Cortina

 

A MKII Escort

[Spiny Norman]

Perhaps not quite what OP was meaning, but why the fuck does the little back street garage in Coronation Street get virtually brand new cars in all the time? And speaking of soap-land, why do people who never seem to go to work, or do jobs that can't be paying more than minimum wage, always drive around in brand new cars?

 

The lack of authenticity in the way cars are used in TV annoys the shit out of me.

They have whole departments dedicated to making sure Mrs so & so isn't wearing a style of jacket that wouldn't have been around in the 60s, or Johnny isn't wearing a digital watch to school, but they seem quite content to show a G reg Rover 800 n a show that's meant to be set in 1977.

[sheffcortinacentre]

becausethey tend to want vehicles midweek when owners are at work & usually at the last minute.

cloths,furnature & other props are stored in warehouses with inventories that can be ordered & delivered in a van & stored in a room ready for use.

 

so they think that people like fred have a yard/multi storey full of vehicles avl at the drop of a hat.

 

i've turned up on set where they've no clue about the age/type etc of the vehicle,they just liked the look/colour etc of it in pics on website when they looked a couple of days previously.

 

once had to deliver a mk1 fiesta from leeds to london with bearly 24hrs notice constantly haranged on phone about must be on set by 5pm, given wrong address in east london instead of west still get there for 4.30, crew turned up at 7pm started filming at 9.30pm.left at 2am no catering & never a word of thanks.

yet again a case of the more upmarket/expensive the production the more the minions are tret like crap.

they were offered 3 in london! but director (madona) liked colour of this one.

 

 

but then perhaps you'd rather have big brother,towie or the latest chav crap celebrity spa.

[Richard]

Quadrophenia got one detail spot on- Sting is a massive prick.

[Tetleysmooth]

 

Same applies to bikes.

 

In the 1963 film "The Great Escape", american character Hilts (played by Steve McQueen) rides a 1960s Triumph Bonneville from Lower Silesia to Switzerland - a distance of about 1,000 kilometres - dressed as an american, presumably on ONE tank of fuel since americans cannot speak German without sounding like total cunts... something they also manage to achieve with English.

 

 

But what spoilt that film most for me was the fact that NOT ONE SINGLE AMERICAN took part in the actual Great Escape, yet the film is crawling with the bastards.

Have the Americans upset you in some way?

[barefoot]

Quadrophenia is a good film but there are a fair few incorrect motors for the year:

 

A MKII Escort

And that push bike clearly has Fizik Superlight Classic Handlebar tape which wasn't available or even applied in that non traditional manner back then either.

[Spiny Norman]

lots of stuff....

 

 All that was exactly I'm talking about though, cars just aren't seen as an important part of the overall authenticity of a lot of TV shows & films. It's not the fault of the people who supply the vehicles, which from the tone of your post is what you seem to think I was saying. Cars just don't appear to be an important part of the recreation of a timescape in many productions unfortunately, and for petrolheads/anoraks like me the programme is less enjoyable as a result.

Maybe it's to do with some productions being aimed more at women who 'don't know or care about cars'* but would spot an out-of-place handbag at 50 paces.

 

but then perhaps you'd rather have big brother,towie or the latest chav crap celebrity spa.

 

No thanks....

[Junkman]

Who of you has actually ever experienced working* with TV or Film people?

I will now only speak for myself, but since I did, I am no longer asking myself why everything displayed on a telly screen is about as intelligent as a plank of wood. This is the best they can come up with as a collective effort. The grade of daftness of those I have encountered is beyond anything you have ever imagined being humanly possible.

[panhard65]

Who of you has actually ever experienced working* with TV or Film people?

I will now only speak for myself, but since I did, I am no longer asking myself why everything displayed on a telly screen is about as intelligent as a plank of wood. This is the best they can come up with as a collective effort. The grade of daftness of those I have encountered is beyond anything you have ever imagined being humanly possible.

I have to agree my fregate was used in 2 films. The first one I took the car into London for. The film was supposed to be 1950's paris. So filming in the middle of London spoils it for a start. They used 3 cars 2 citroen 2cv's and my fregate. Both the 2cv's were 1980's they swapped the bonnet over on one to make it look like an early car, but they didn't even bother swapping the plates on my car or the other 2cv which was an E reg and right hand drive. There again the whole set up was very low budget I am still waiting for my expenses cheque nearly 2 years later. I didn't go with the car the second time and the film isn't due for release until early next year. At least this lot paid £400 to use it for 2 days. They also cleaned it and re-trimmed the parcel shelf as that was in shot apparently

[8_tee_8]

Here's a post-'71 Land Rover 109 in Withnail and I which was set in 1969.

 

 

 

I still love the film though.

I also love withnail & I and can forgive whatever inaccuracies it contains. Find it amusing the state that the mk2 jag is in when it would only have been a few years old

[John F]

 

 

Have the Americans upset you in some way?

 

 

Not at all.

 

I have nothing but respect for this principled, virtuous, urbane and peaceful nation that exhibits great respect for other cultures and whose intelligent, well-balanced citizens react with dignified acquiescence to criticism.

 

Indeed, I cherish the way that they shun self-promotion in favour of understatement, and I am eternally grateful for their salvation of the entire world's donkeys in WWII.

[Tetleysmooth]

 

Not at all.

 

I have nothing but respect for this principled, virtuous, urbane and peaceful nation that exhibits great respect for other cultures and whose intelligent, well-balanced citizens react with dignified acquiescence to criticism.

 

Indeed, I cherish the way that they shun self-promotion in favour of understatement, and I am eternally grateful for their salvation of the entire world's donkeys in WWII.

Oh, that's ok then.

 

[dollywobbler]

A mate of mine spent some of this year providing 2CVs for RED 2. Bit of an eye opener, especially the amount of money they throw around! He spent some fully-expensed time in Paris after building the cars, where his job was to keep them going no matter what. Seriously stressful but apparently pays well.

[DVee8]

Around 7 years ago i was asked to provide my Daimler for a Vogue photo shoot in London,The car was picked up in a covered trailer.I couldn't go due to work my wife couldn't go due to a newish born so her dad went,a 3 day shoot payed well,put up in a hotel,well fed and watered then returned safe and sound.

[sheffcortinacentre]

no wasn't haveing ago at you was haveing ago at the usless twats that book/pick the vehicles.

in that they don't have a clue re appropreateness to era production is set in or the logistics in supplying said vehicles.

 

been involved in this since late 90's on an ametuer basis & most of time its a pleasent experience & the vehicles have been well looked after as have owners.

 

quite a few of the mistakes are down to them being more interested in the image than the accuracey & have little knowledge of the period thier representing, even as recently as the 80's as they were prob young kids or poss not even born.

 

but i'd rather have inaccuraces than reality tv.

[jmsguzzi]

It was like they didn't even try in Ashes to Ashes. There was a brand new BMW 7 Series clearly on show in the background just driving around on set not even blurred out.

[fordperv]

useless info alert, daddy fordperv was an extra in quadrophenia he worked as a sparky working at hotels in brighton had his scooter there as his everyday transport, he heard they wanted extras so he popped along to filming

[FredTransit]

OK where do I start???

 

The fun time me and Craig had started with a panic phone call and went down hill from there. The 'driver' of the fez, it turned out, was an Eastern European (Latvian? Polish?) with an expired Yank license. I had to go through the motions of trying to locate a  low loader at 8pm on a friday night (yeah really) and in the end we went with the Waltons plan. Pushing it into shot with no keys in it......

 

Didn't have anything to do with LOM as it was shot up North so it wasn't me. I do know who did the cars and whatever they did didn't surprise me. They got the first series of A2A too. We came in with the second series. I was there for the Rover debacle (that's our bullion van). A bit further up the street is one of our lutons, blocking a line of parked cars. The rover rocked up and the driver pissed off before anybody noticed. I offered to chuck a tarp over it but they said they would blur it out in post......

 

Towards the end of series three I was literally told by the main supplier they didn't give a fook if the cars were right or not.

 

We once dragged a Mk1 icey all the way from Bute and Argyle cos the writer liked it, despite being offered a Mk2 that lived about 10 miles away. The van moved slowly south, to Middlesborough where we bought it from a few years later.

[chaseracer]

Hey Fred, if you need a scruffy early-90s E-class Merc, I'm your man. Once I get the bugger mobile again...

[FredTransit]

Yeah why not? We just had Sam Glover's ex 240 estate out and I haven't even painted the wings white!!! So minty isn't always the order of the day.....